Index ledger or balance sheets



Jan. 22 1924.

1,481,402 L.P.VYETZEL ET AL INDEX LEDGER 0R BALANCE SHEETS Filed Feb. 20 1922 .Lennard F.' VVB-tzal Ar'ihur T1 EJEQmaJ-L Chimney Patentes aan. aa, wat.

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LEONARD P. WETZEL AND ARTHUR F. SELIG/AN, OF TROY, LLINOS.

INDEX LEDGER 0R BALANCE SHEETS.

Application led February 20, 1922. Serial No. 537,933.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, LEONARD l?. lNETZEL and ARTHUR F. SEmeMAN,citizens of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Madison and State of Tllinois, have invented certain new and useful` Im provements in ndex Ledger or Balance Sheets, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying dra-wings. n

This invention relates to sheets designed to be used with bookkeeping or like machines, and particularly to sheets having an index portion ork tab projecting from one side.

The general object of this invention is to provide a ledger sheet or balance sheet so constructed as to provide a tab, as it may be called, of greater or less length projecting from one side of the sheet and upon which the name of an account may be written, these sheets being arranged in series and the sheets of a series having the tabs so formed with relation to each other that when the series are all together, the names of the various accounts will be displayed.

A further object is to so form the sheet that the index tab will not tend to catch when the sheet is inserted between the rollers of a bookkeeping machine and thereby cause injury to the sheet itself or any buckling of the sheet, particularly when the sheets are reversed.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein The figure is a perspective view of a plurality of ledger or balance sheets designed in accordance with our invention, certain of the sheets being offset with relation to the main sheets.

Referring to this drawing, it will be seen that we have illustrated a series of index sheets running from one to 20, and certain extra sheets hereinafter specifically referred to. Normally there will be about twenty sheets in a series, though more or less sheets may be used. Each sheet 10 is preferably square lin form and has its lower corners rounded or beveled, as at ll, the upper corners being also rounded or preferably beveled. To the right of each sheet and extending to the upper corner ofthe sheet is an extension of the sheet forming what we will call a tab and designated l2. This tab on its lower margin is adapted to receive the name of the account, at 13, and also a number le, the numbers ruiming consecutively through each series of sheets. The

ylower edge of this tab l2 is inclined, as at l5, and this inclination of this lower edge is a very important and necessary feature of the invention. lt will be seen that the tab has a width such the lower edge is long enough to receive the name of the account and, of course, this length is increased slightly by the inclination of this lower edge. The lower portion of each sheet is cut away below the tab and each succeeding sheet has its tab cut 21 shorter than the preceding sheet.

As before stated, there are approximately twenty sheets in a series, this being the greatest number possible with sheets of standard size, and the sheets are numbered from one to twenty, thus facilitating the replacement of the sheet. 0f course, the usual alphabeticalindex tabs are to be used betweenv the series of sheets and it can be readily seen that any certain account can be located instantly by glancing down the series of sheets. The lower portion of the sheet may be left plain or may be perforated, punched or notched, as desired, to lit any binder or holder, and we have indicated 'a certain forni of notches which are designated 16. The sheets may be ruled in any manner desired and may be, of course, any width and length to fit any particular style of accounting and may be adapted, as before remarked, to lit any styleof binder or holder. These sheets are particularly designed for use as ledger sheets or state ment sheets used principally by banks.

As before remarked, the diagonal cut l5' or diagonal edge at the lower end of the tab 12 is absolutely necessary in using the ledger sheet having an index tab with a bookkeeping machine, as where the tab l2 terminates at its lower edge in a margin extending at right angles to the vertical axis of the sheet this lower edge is very liable to catch in the rollers of the bookkeeping machine and tear or cause the sheet to buckle up. V/vith the square-cut tab, the sheets are particularly liable to buckle u when reversed. Thus there will be a uckling of the sheet having a square-cut tab when the same is inserted in the bookkeeping machine, the sheet turned too far, and it is desired to turn it back. Vith our construction, the diagonal margin ot the tab enters gradually between the rollers so that the tab is guided into the space between the rollers gradually instead or' the right-angular lower edge ot the tab coming in contact along its Whole edge with the rollers.

lt will be noted it'roin the ligure that the sheets may be adapted to take care of more than one account of the same narne when the series or twenty sheets is already lilled.

other Words, there are two sheets nurnhered l2, two sheets numbered ll, two sheets numbered l0, etc., these second sheets 10, ll and i2 lying normally beneath the outer sheets l0, ll and l2 and the boollreeper see ing the naine (1. Anderson on the main sheet `but not the name fr B. Anderson or 9. A. i-lnderson,7 will siinply lift up 'the sheets above the naine cAnderson and between the iQth sheet and the 13th sheet he will see the duplicate sheets l0, 11 and i2 having the other Anderson names thereon. This construction makes it extremely easy to in'd the proper account at any time and even if the tabs are bent at anan-'gle `to the body of the sheet, they Will readily pass between the rollers of the bookhee-ping machine it the lower edge of the tab urchin-td, whereas if lthe lower edge is square the tab is very liable to be. torn off or a. tear started that will render the sheet useless.

Of course, We do not wish to be limited to any particular character olf printing on the sheet, to any particular kind ot notches, etc. lt obvious that these may be Varied in many Ways Without departing from the spirit ot thc invention.

il series .o'l balance or ledger sheets for use with bookkeeping inaehines, each sheet having a relatively wide laterally projecting index tab, the lower 'edge ot' keach tab being sherply inclined laterally and toward the top of the sheet, the tab of any oneisheet being longer than the tab of the next preceding sheetand underlying the tab of such preceding sheet throughout the length thereot, the upper edge ot the tab being coincident with the upper edge of the sheet.

ln testimony Whereotl We hereunto alix our signatures.

LEONARD P. VVET'ZEL. ARTHUR F. SELIGMAN. 

